Ancient Greek Music: The Melodies

This site contains all published fragments of Ancient Greek music which consist of more than a few scattered notes. All of them are recorded under the use of tunings whose exact ratios have been transmitted to us by ancient theoreticians (of the Pythagorean school, most of them cited by Ptolemaios). Instruments and speed are chosen by the author. The exact sound depends on your hard- and software.

© Stefan Hagel: All rights reserved. You are not allowed to edit, publish, distribute, or sell the music files in this site or their music. You may, however, make local copies for private or academic use.

Editions

DAME. Pöhlmann, Denkmäler Altgriechischer Musik. Sammlung, Übertragung und Erläuterung aller Fragmente und Fälschungen, Nürnberg 1970
AGMM. L. West, Ancient Greek Music, Oxford 1992
DAGME. Pöhlmann / M. L. West, Documents of Ancient Greek Music, Oxford 2001
In some instances, the music files deviate from these editions.

Commentaries

Stefan Hagel, Ancient Greek Music. A New Technical History, Cambridge 2009 [ISBN 978-0-521-51764-5]
Stefan Hagel, Modulation in altgriechischer Musik, P. Lang: Frankfurt/Main - Berlin et al. 2000 [ISBN 3-631-36642-6]

Fragments

Colored icons indicate pieces which are intact to an extent that allows to get an impression of the melody as a whole. You may access all fragments in two sound formats:

Click at such icons below real You need the real player to play this format. The quality of the sound will not, for the most part, depend on your sound card.
Click at such icons below MIDI If you have installed a sound card and a MIDI-driver, you may use this format. The quality of the sound will depend on the MIDI capabilities of your sound card. However, not all MIDI-drivers will render the music correctly. If you encounter slurs, do not use this format.

Play Play Euripides, Orestes s. V BC (?) PVienna G 2315, ~200 BC. Enharmonic tuning. DAM 21, AGM 3, DAGM 3
Play Play PZenon 59 533 s. III m BC Fragment from a tragedy (?) DAM 35, AGM 7, DAGM 8
Play Play PHibeh 231 s. III BC Fragment of uncertain content DAGM 7
Play Play PAshmol 89B/31,33 s. III-II BC The younger Sophocles, Achilleus (?) DAGM 5
Play Play PAshmol 89B/29-32 s. III-II BC Fragments of uncertain content DAGM 6
Play Play Athenaios, Paian 128 BC Inscription from Delphi. Missing notes supplied by the author of this page. DAM 19, AGM 12, DAGM 20
Play Play Limenios, Paian and processional 128 BC Inscription from Delphi, fragmentary DAM 20, AGM 13, DAGM 21
Play Play POslo 1413, 1-15 s. I-II AD Fragment of dramatic song DAM 36, AGM 30, DAGM 39
Play Play POslo 1413, 16-19 (ô Lêmne) s. I-II AD Fragment of dramatic song DAM 37, AGM 31, DAGM 40
Play Play Seikilos Song s. II AD Inscription on stele DAM 18, AGM 15, DAGM 23
Play Play Mesomedes (?), two invocations s. II i AD MS transmission DAM 1s, AGM 16s, DAGM 24s
Play Play Mesomedes, hymn to Helios s. II i AD MS transmission DAM 4, AGM 18, DAGM 27
Play Play Mesomedes, hymn to Nemesis s. II i AD MS transmission DAM 5, AGM 19, DAGM 28
Play Play PYale CtYBR 4510 (nárkisson) s. II i AD Verses of lyrical character DAGM 41
Play Play POxy 2436 (paîs Áreos) s. II AD Fragment of a satyric drama (?) DAM 38, AGM 29, DAGM 38
Play Play PMichigan 2958, 1-18 (ô phíltate) s. II AD Fragment of dramatic song DAM 39, AGM 32, DAGM 42
Play Play POxy 3704 (ho sýnaimos) s. II AD Fragment AGM 34a, DAGM 44a
Play Play POxy 3704 (idíoi genétei) s. II AD Fragment AGM 34b, DAGM 4b
Play Play PMichigan 1250 s. I-III AD Instrumental fragment DAGM 61
Play Play Paian PBerlin 6870, 1-15 s. II-III AD Fragmentary Paian + instrumental piece DAM 30s, AGM 40s, DAGM 50s
Play Play PBerlin 6870, 16-19.23 (Aiax) s. II-III AD Fragment of dramatic lament on Aiax' death DAM 32, AGM 42.44, DAGM 17s
Play Play PBerlin 6870, 20-22 (Instr.) s. II-III AD Fragmentary instrumental piece, presumably for aulos DAM 33, AGM 43, DAGM 52
Play Play POxy 4463 s. II-III AD Dramatic (?) fragments DAGM 47
Play Play POxy 4464 s. II-III AD Dramatic fragment DAGM 48
Play Play POxy 4465 s. II-III AD Dramatic fragment DAGM 49
Play Play POxy 3161 recto s. III AD Dramatic fragments AGM 45, DAGM 53
Play Play POxy 3161 verso s. III AD Dramatic fragments AGM 46, DAGM 54
Play Play POxy 3705 s. III AD Verse with four alternative musical settings. Transcription uncertain AGM 48, DAGM 56
Play Play POxy 4466 s. III AD Hymnic (?) fragment DAGM 57
Play Play Christian hymn s. III-IV AD POxy 1786 DAM 34, AGM 51, DAGM 59

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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